Cupid's Revenge: "In being thus dishonest, for a name He call'd him Cupid"

By Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

The English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I of England (James VI of Scotland, 1567–1625; in England he reigned from 1603).

Beaumont & Fletcher began to collaborate as writers soon after they met. After notable failures of their solo works their first joint effort, Philaster, was a success and tragicomedy was the genre they explored and built upon. There would be many further successes to follow.

There is an account that at the time the two men shared everything. They lived together in a house on the Bankside in Southwark, "they also lived together in Bankside, sharing clothes and having one wench in the house between them." Or as another account puts it “sharing everything in the closest intimacy."

Whatever the truth of this they were now recognised as perhaps the best writing team of their generation, so much so, that their joint names was applied to all the works in which either, or both, had a pen including those with Philip Massinger, James Shirley and Nathan Field.

The first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647 contained 35 plays; 53 plays were included in the second folio in 1679. Other works bring the total plays in the canon to about 55. However there appears here to have been some duplicity on the account of the publishers who seemed to attribute so many to the team. It is now thought that the work between solely by Beaumont and Fletcher amounts to approximately 15 plays, though of course further works by them were re-worked by others and the originals lost.

After Beaumont’s early death in 1616 Fletcher continued to write and, at his height was, by many standards, the equal of Shakespeare in popularity until his own death in 1625.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stage Door
• Release date: Jan 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787377523

Book preview

Cupid’s Revenge by Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher

The English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I of England (James VI of Scotland, 1567–1625; in England he reigned from 1603).

Beaumont & Fletcher began to collaborate as writers soon after they met.  After notable failures of their solo works their first joint effort, Philaster, was a success and tragicomedy was the genre they explored and built upon.  There would be many further successes to follow.

There is an account that at the time the two men shared everything.  They lived together in a house on the Bankside in Southwark, they also lived together in Bankside, sharing clothes and having one wench in the house between them. Or as another account puts it sharing everything in the closest intimacy.

Whatever the truth of this they were now recognised as perhaps the best writing team of their generation, so much so, that their joint names was applied to all the works in which either, or both, had a pen including those with Philip Massinger, James Shirley and Nathan Field.

The first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647 contained 35 plays; 53 plays were included in the second folio in 1679. Other works bring the total plays in the canon to about 55. However there appears here to have been some duplicity on the account of the publishers who seemed to attribute so many to the team.  It is now thought that the work between solely by Beaumont and Fletcher amounts to approximately 15 plays, though of course further works by them were re-worked by others and the originals lost. 

After Beaumont’s early death in 1616 Fletcher continued to write and, at his height was, by many standards, the equal of Shakespeare in popularity until his own death in 1625.

Index of Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACTUS PRIMUS

SCÆNA PRIMA

ACTUS SECUNDUS

SCÆNA PRIMA

ACTUS TERTIUS

SCÆNA PRIMA

ACTUS QUARTUS

SCÆNA PRIMA

ACTUS QUINTUS

SCÆNA PRIMA

CUPID’S Speech

FRANCIS BEAUMONT – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

JOHN FLETCHER – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

BEAUMONT & FLETCHER – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MEN

Cupid.

Leontius, the old Duke of Lycia.

Leucippus, Son to the Duke.

Ismenus, Nephew to the Duke.

Telamon, a Lycian Lord.

Dorialus }

Agenor    } Courtiers.

Nisus      }

Timantus, a villainous Sycophant.

The Priest of Cupid.

Four young Men and Maids.

Nilo, sent in Commission to pull down Cupid's Image.

Zoylus, Leucippus's Dwarf.

Four Citizens.

WOMEN

Hidaspes, Daughter to the Duke.

Cleophila, and Hero her Attendants.

Bacha, a Strumpet.

Urania, her Daughter.

Bacha's Maid.

Urania's Maid.

Servants and Attendants.

ACTUS PRIMUS

SCÆNA PRIMA

Enter DORIALUS, AGENOR, NISUS.

AGENOR

Trust me my Lord Dorialus, I had mist of this, if you had not call'd me; I thought the Princesses birth-day had been to morrow.

NISUS

Why, did your Lordship sleep out the day?

DORIALUS

I marvel what the Duke meant to make such an idle vow.

NISUS

Idle, why?

DORIALUS

Is't not idle, to swear to grant his Daughter any thing she shall ask on her birth-day? she may ask an impossible thing: and I pray heaven she do not ask an unfit thing at one time or other; 'tis dangerous trusting a mans vow upon the discretion on's Daughter.

AGENOR

I wonder most at the Marquis her Brother, who is always vehemently forward to have her desires granted.

DORIALUS

He's acquainted with 'em before.

AGENOR

She's doubtless very chaste and virtuou.

DORIALUS

So is Leucippus her brother.

NISUS

She's twenty year old, I wonder

She aske not a Husband.

DORIALUS

That were a folly in her; having refus'd all the

Great Princes in one part of the world;

She'll die a Maid.

AGENOR

She may ask but one, may she?

NISUS

A hundred times this day if she will;

And indeed, every day is such a day, for though

The Duke has vow'd it only on this day,

He keeps it every day: he can deny

Her nothing.                                            

[Cornets.

[Enter HIDASPES, LEUCIPPUS, LEONTIUS, TIMANTAS, TELLAMON.

LEONTIUS

Come fair Hidaspes, thou art

Duchess to day,

Art thou prepar'd to aske, thou knowest

My oath will force performance.

And Leucippus, if she now ask ought that shall,

Or would have performance

After my death, when by the help of heaven,

This Land is thine, accursed be thy race,

May every one forget thou art my Son,

And so their own obedience.

LEUCIPPUS

Mighty Sir,

I do not wish to know that fatal hour,

That is to make me King, but if I do,

I shall most hastily, (and like a Son)

Perform your grants to all, chiefly to her:

Remember that you aske what we

Agreed upon.

LEONTIUS

Are you prepar'd? then speak.

HIDASPES

Most Royal Sir, I am prepar'd,

Nor shall my Will exceed a Virgins bounds,

What I request shall both at once bring

Me a full content.

LEONTIUS

So it ever does:

Thou only comfort of my feeble age,

Make known thy good desire,

For I dare swear thou lov'st me.

HIDASPES

This is it I beg,

And on my knees. The people of your Land,

The Lycians, are through all the Nations

That know their name, noted to have in use

A vain and fruitless superstition;

So much more hateful, that it bears the shew

Of true Religion, and is nothing else

But a false-pleasing bold lasciviousness.

LEONTIUS

What is it?

HIDASPES

Many ages before this,

When every man got to himself a Trade,

And was laborious in that chosen course,

Hating an idle life, far worse than death:

Some one that gave himself to Wine and Sloth,

Which breed lascivious thoughts;

And found himself conjoyn'd

For that by every painful man,

To take his stain away, fram'd to himself

A god, whom he pretended to obey,

In being thus dishonest, for a name

He call'd him Cupid

This created god,

Mans nature being ever credulous

Of any vice that takes part with his blood,

Had ready followers enow: and since

In every age they grew, especially

Amongst your Subjects, who do yet remain

Adorers of that drowsie Deitie:

Which drink invented: and the winged Boy,

(For so they call him) has his sacrifices.

These loose naked statues through the Land,

And in every Village, nay the palace

Is not free from 'em. This is my request,

That these erected obscene Images

May be pluckt down and burnt: and every man

That offers to 'em any sacrifice, may lose his life.

LEONTIUS

But be advis'd my fairest daughter, if he be

A god, he will express it upon thee my child:

Which heaven avert.

LEUCIPPUS

There is no such power:

But the opinion of him fills the Land

With lustful sins: every young man and maid

That feel the least desire to one another,

Dare not suppress it, for they think it is

Blind Cupid's motion: and he is a god.

LEONTIUS

This makes our youth unchaste. I am resolv'd:

Nephew Ismenus, break the Statues down

Here in the Palace, and command the City

Do the like, let proclamations

Be drawn, and hastily sent through the Land

To the same purpose.

ISMENUS

Sir, I will break down none my self,

But I will deliver your command:

Hand I will have none in't, for I like it not.

LEONTIUS

Goe and command it. Pleasure of my life,

Wouldst thou ought else? make many thousand suits,

They must and shall be granted.

HIDASPES

Nothing else.                               

[Exit ISMENUS.

LEONTIUS

But go and meditate on other suits,

Some six days hence I'll give thee Audience again,

And by a new oath, bind my self to keep it:

Ask largely for thy self, dearer than life

In